Category: History

The evening of November 17, 1954, Fr. Pietro Cerutti, S.J. arrived in Klongtoei, the harbor of Bangkok.

On January 3, 1955 they [Fr. Pietro Cerutti & Fr. Joseph Donohue] moved to 14/7 Rajaprarob Road, a small, wooden two story house, which they rented for one year….

On January 24, 1955 the third member of the community arrived, Fr. Georges Marin, and on April 2nd, the fourth, Fr. Alfred Bonningue. Later on, after Fr. Eugene Denis arrived at the end of 1955, he and almost all those who followed for the next six to seven years went to study the language at Assumption School of the Brothers of St. Gabriel in Sriracha.

At the end of 1955 a larger house was rented at 131 Rajadamri Lane, Rajadamri Road, near the Rajaprasong Crossing. The compound was about 3,000 square meters.

After a long search, around Easter of 1958 it was agreed that land near the Victory Monument by the Samsen Canal was by far the most convenient. On April 12th the purchase contract was signed. The community moved to the new location on December 20, 1958, calling their new site, “Xavier Hall”, in honor of the great missionary of Asia, St. Francis Xavier.

On Sunday March 5, 1972 when Archbishop Nitayo, presiding at a concelebrated Mass with two other bishops and the Fathers of the Community, in the presence of the Apostolic Pro-Nuncio and a congregation of more than 1000 people, consecrated the beautiful new church of Xavier Hall, we began having four Masses every Sunday and daily Masses for the people.

Xavier Hall, Bangkok is the first house of the Jesuits in Thailand. Today, after more than 50 years at the present site (since 1958), Xavier Hall is the center for a kaleidoscope of activities and ministries.

At the moment, there are seven priests and six brothers staying and working at Xavier Hall: